Family Ties
by redhedqt
Summary: When Emma finds out who her real father is, it could ruin her love life.
1. Introduction

Family Ties  
  
Emma has grown up thinking her father was one man. But when Spike rehashes a life-altering decision she made in her teens, she realizes what Emma thinks and what the truth is are two totally different things. 


	2. Chapter One: Emma's Crush, Spike's Reali...

Chapter One: Emma's Crush, Spike's Realization  
  
Manny Santos stared at her best friend curiously. Waving a hand in front of her face, Manny received no response from a Miss Emma Nelson.  
  
"Em...what is up with you lately, huh?" Manny asked. "You've been like this for days."  
  
Emma finally snapped out of her trance. "Huh?"  
  
Manny rolled her eyes. "It's Craig, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah." Emma admitted, biting her lip. Manny sighed.  
  
"Emma..."  
  
"I know, I know! But I mean, look at him." Emma replied, studying the object of her affection from across the library.  
  
"Oh, I'm looking alright. But I mean, he did kinda crush me. No, crush would be an understatement. He basically destroyed my self confidence. I bet that no guy will ever go out with me, like, ever." Manny complained.  
  
"Uh huh." Emma replied, not really paying attention.  
  
Manny glared at her. "Gee, thanks for being supportive."  
  
Emma looked at her. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She said sheepishly.  
  
"Since when do you get all obsessed over guys anyway? I mean, isn't that my deal?" Manny asked.  
  
"Yeah, well...he's so worth it." Emma replied.  
  
"Ain't that the truth." Manny replied.  
  
The guy in question was none other than Craig Manning. Tall, dark, and handsome were three generic words that could be used to describe him, but they were words that fit. Hottie, Rockstar, and Heartthrob were three more. He was like the perfect guy. He sang. He played guitar. He was a photographer. An artist. Any girl would be lucky to catch him.  
  
And Manny almost did. They even went out on a date. But ultimately, Craig decided she wasn't mature enough for him, and that was that. Leaving him wide open for advances from Emma.  
  
She may have been the same age as Manny, but she felt like she was mature enough to handle a guy like Craig. Sure, she had only had one boyfriend before, but...you had to start somewhere, right?  
  
Craig walked by the table Emma and Manny were sitting at.  
  
"Hey Emma!" he said brightly.  
  
"Um, hi Craig." She replied with a shy smile. His gaze fell on Manny.  
  
"Uh, Manny. Hey." He said. Manny merely lifted her eyebrows and pursed her eyebrows to acknowledge him. He rolled his eyes. "Very mature. I'll see you later, Em."  
  
"Bye." Emma said. As soon as Craig was out of earshot, she turned to Manny. "Manny! That was so bitchy of you!"  
  
Manny rolled her chocolate colored eyes. "Well he deserves it. If he didn't like me, then he shouldn't have asked me out."  
  
Emma shrugged. "Just don't hold a grudge okay. I mean..."  
  
Manny sighed. "Em, he's all yours. Be my guest."  
  
Emma smiled slightly. She couldn't run and jump on him, for Manny's sake, but it was definitely a start.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Spike sat on her living room couch, head in hands, still reeling from the latest realization thrown upon her.  
  
Memories from fourteen years earlier were running through her mind, some fresh, some a little hazy. Unfortunately, this happened to be one of the hazy ones. She sighed.  
  
"Just pick up the phone, Spike." She told herself.  
  
After ten minutes of deliberating, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.  
  
"Hey, it's Spike. We...need to talk. Later tonight? Okay. Great. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed.  
  
Emma was going to kill her. 


	3. Chapter Two: The News

Chapter Two: The News  
  
Emma walked up her front steps, Manny right behind her. The two were planning on having a Girls' Night In, like every Friday night. Emma slammed the door and walked in the living room. She stopped in her tracks, and Manny crashed into her.  
  
"Ow! Emma, what...oh lord." Manny said, her mouth dropping open. She recovered quickly, putting her hands on her hips. "Okay, what is he doing here?"  
  
"Nice to see you too, Manny." Craig replied, standing up. "And I was invited."  
  
"Emma!" Manny said.  
  
"I didn't invite him!" Emma said, exasperated. "I don't think...I didn't invite you, did I?" she asked.  
  
Craig laughed. "No. Your mom did."  
  
"Oh...kay." Emma said. "Mom!"  
  
Spike hurried down the steps. "Oh good, you're home. Joey and Angie should be here any minute."  
  
"Um...can I ask what's going on here?" Emma asked.  
  
Spike stalled for a second. "Um, Joey and I were gonna wait until we were all together before we told you."  
  
Emma looked at Craig, who wore the same mask of confusion on his face.  
  
"Is this like an intervention or something?" Craig asked.  
  
"No! Nothing like that! Just...wait...okay?"  
  
"Um, is Manny allowed to stay?" Emma asked.  
  
"Sure! Manny, honey, you can stay!" Spike said.  
  
"No, that's okay. I'd better be getting home. Em, call me later and fill me in." Manny said. "Bye Mrs. Nelson." She shut the door behind her as she left.  
  
"What was that about?" Spike asked.  
  
"Manny and Craig kinda hate each other." Emma explained.  
  
"Correction. Manny kinda hate Craig. Craig don't hate nobody." Craig replied.  
  
"Well, you know what that means. She likes you." Spike replied. Craig groaned.  
  
"Um, mom, you don't wanna go there. Trust me. It all ends very bad...blood...bodies...police...anarchy. Just don't touch it." Emma replied.  
  
"Right..." Spike replied. The doorbell rang a moment later.  
  
"Oh! That's Joey and Angie." Spike said. She walked to the door and opened it.  
  
"Hey." Joey said.  
  
"Um, hi." Spike said.  
  
"Is it just me or do they seem really nervous?" Craig murmured to Emma.  
  
"I think you're right." Emma replied softly.  
  
"Guys, have a seat." Joey said. Emma and Craig both sat down next to each other on the couch, Angie plopping down in Craig's lap.  
  
"We need to talk to you guys about something." Spike said.  
  
"Are you getting married?" Angie asked suddenly.  
  
"What? No. No honey, we're not getting married." Joey said.  
  
"Then what's going on?" Craig asked.  
  
"This is kind of complicated, and we don't really know for sure yet..." Spike said. "Emma, there's some things you need to know about where you come from."  
  
Emma gave her mother a funny look. "Such as?"  
  
"Your...background. And your family." Spike replied.  
  
"Oh, I get it. You guys are like, related, right? Cousins?" Craig asked.  
  
"Not exactly." Joey replied.  
  
Finally, it hit Craig like a ton of bricks. "Holy shit."  
  
Angie gasped. "Craig you said a bad word!"  
  
"What's going on?" Emma asked.  
  
"You mean...she's...you're...wow." Craig said.  
  
"Craig, what is it?" Emma asked.  
  
"You know, I'm gonna let Joey and Spike handle this." Craig said.  
  
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Emma demanded.  
  
"Emma, I'm your father." Joey finally spat out. Emma's jaw dropped open, eyes wide.  
  
"Holy shit." She repeated Craig's choice of words.  
  
"It was an accident in high school...one night of too much drinking, no condom..." Spike trailed off.  
  
"So...let me get this straight. You're my father. Angie's my half sister. So...that would make Craig..."  
  
"...your stepbrother." Joey finished.  
  
Emma looked at her crush, the guy that made school worth going to, the one she dreamed about every night, and felt nauseous.  
  
"Oh god." She said, and jumped up, running up the stairs.  
  
"Emma!" Spike yelled. Craig got up and followed her.  
  
Emma ran to her room and flung herself face down on the bed, tears streaming. Everything she knew about herself was a lie.  
  
"Em, you alright?" Craig tapped on the doorframe. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Craig, go away. I can't deal with you right now." Emma replied, her voice muffled through her pillow.  
  
"Emma, I realize you're upset..." Craig sat down on her bed.  
  
"God, don't sit on my bed!" Emma said, sitting up. It had been something out of one of her fantasies, now it was a complete nightmare.  
  
"Geez, sorry. I didn't know you were so sensitive about it." Craig replied, standing up. "It's not so bad, you know. Joey's a really good guy. He's a good father."  
  
Emma stared at him. "Craig, I have gone my whole life without a father, and I've done just fine up until now. I don't Joey wrecking it. And I get a father, a sister, and a brother all in one day! Do you know what I'm feeling right now?"  
  
"Sort of. I mean, I get another sister." Craig said.  
  
"That's the problem!" Emma replied.  
  
"What? What's the problem?" Craig replied.  
  
"This is not Kentucky!" Emma yelled.  
  
"What?" Craig asked, mouth dropping open. Emma clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she had said.  
  
"Oh god." She said weakly.  
  
"You mean...you...you like...oh god. This is...oh god. This wrong on so many levels. I mean...oh god. You...like...oh lord. I gotta go." Craig left her room and headed down the steps.  
  
"Craig!" Emma yelled. Dammit. There she went, opening her big mouth again, getting herself into trouble.  
  
And now she was in love with her new stepbrother.  
  
Perfect. Just perfect. 


End file.
